Moving to AZ - research thread

Too many.

 

ya man, you backyard is right up my alley

so, just so Im clear, the front of your house is facing south, so your backyard is facing north which is shaded in the winter, right?

 

Correct - but the pool itself doesn't get shaded from the house, just the patio and area outside of it.

 

ok, I think I got it.

I was thinking if your house is facing south, then the backyard (facing north) will get all shade from the house , but maybe the declination of the sun is different there as well, here it gets super low so shade to the north is huge

 

Yeah, we're much more tropical here than northern IL, so it's not as drastic

Edit to add - I'm pretty sure I told you I'm from Northcentral IL originally? I grew up an hour straight south of Rockford.

 

Rockford is quite the place…..
I had to go there once for a two week training for McDowells

 

That's where we'd go if we needed to do any "fancy" shopping or dinners and whatnot lol. I was in the middle of nothing but cornfields.

 

ya, thats not far from me now at all.

glad I asked, so I don't have to be quite so concerned that north facing backyard will be all shade from the house like here when the sun gets super low angle in the winter

also, I just remembered I will have a ranch and not a 2 story like I have now

Im glad I asked.

Im currently looking at Pinnacle at Del Lago, from Pepper Homes, 3/4 - 1 acre lots and a half way decent spread between houses, my wife wants at least an option of having neighbors somewhat close for the kids.

 

So what you’re saying is “smalltown Midwest kid enrolls at biggest party school on the planet”..

 

OP, you will love the food in AZ. There’s everything, you won’t “miss” the food as I heard from previous east coasters before moving here.
I miss good Mexican food, Jack in the box everywhere. Discount tire everywhere.
Don’t wait until summer to move though. If you wait that long, wait until October to move.

 

Im sure theres good stuff down there, but it won't compare to Chicago and burbs food, Im not going to kid myself, I bet Ill have trouble even finding some quality cheese and sausages there (ok, giving away my Italian ness, ha), and pizza capital of the world, ya not that NY stuff, HA

but ya, Im not sure Ill have a say when I move with trying to either build or purchase and sell, sometimes you just have to deal with it. I can tell you this, it won't be me moving the shit anyways, lol.

 

Yep, you’re the first person from the Midwest to move to the desert.

 

lol, as usual, you come through for me hauler, I can now plan this in peace.

first round of sangwhiches on me

 

how much room (depth) wise does that take up to your back wall?

Im looking at a builder now that has 1 acre lots but sets the back wall around 45-50 feet ish, wondering if thats enough room to stuff a decent pool , etc in

 

There is also a place called dickmans meats; home of the ugly steak, and another called the sausage shop that are super legit

 

awesome to know, you guys are great, making this much easier to try and plan and think through

Im maybe moving up my timeline significantly depending on a few things, could be pulling the trigger anytime to prior to august 2026.

I was thinking like 3-5 years, but some changes have occurred and now Im thinking like ASAP to next year.

 

If you get a pool, I highly suggest a salt water chlorine generator. (SWG) Any form of solid chlorine introduces stabilizers into the water that will eventually cause problems. A SWG will automate chlorine delivery: costs more up front but will cost less in chemicals over the long run. I would never have a pool in AZ without this feature. The goat of pool forums is troublefreepools. Also, the water is very hard here so I have my house/pool on a softener. The calcium harness (CH) is also another chemical in a pool that is basically impossible to get rid of without a full water change.

And yes, Dickman's dirty steaks are great.

 

ok, whats the measurement from your crib to the back wall of the pool area? I understand you have a huge lot, but I was just wondering on the pool area.

like is 45-50 feet enough type deal

 

great info, I'll have need a ton more info when I get to that portion of the course.

I did talk to presidential pools out of phoenix and Tucson and he gave me some great information and budgeting ideas.

if you buy a house that has a pool and its just standard stuff, can you add the system your recommending ?

 

We had just under an acre, 2500 sq ft house, 3 car garage, RV parking (boat) on one side, 60’ to back wall, tons of space on N side for a pool. 7’ block wall around backyard. I wouldn’t do a pool (wife really wanted one) as it was desert outside our backyard. Not so now that we’ve moved. Built up behind us. We still own house.
It sort of depends on where you position your house on the property, if you have that luxury.

when we had the house built, we “placed” the house on the lot, if that makes sense.

 

I have 40’ to the back wall, pool is 12’ x 28’. We are moving soon to downsize and get acreage, but will do the same basic size pool with in floor cleaning system. I have never cleaned my pool and it is always perfect, makes it easy.

 

Also nice backyard, that was what my wall looked like too. Good choice on the flat roof tiles. Birds like the U tiles. Keep that in mind OP

 

Is that a yardistry? Not sure if/how much research you did on those gazebo things before purchasing, but if you have any tips/brands to avoid it’d be appreciated. Looking to get one shortly after Sedona..

 

I dont get this whole wall thing in the back yard and why they are installed so tight to the houses. I wouldn't expect it to go around an entire acre or anything that cost would be crazy, but damn, but one of the models of a builder has 29' to the wall on a lot that is rather large at 3/4 to 1 acre, seems odd to me.

but I guess it is what it is, so wall here we come I guess, lol.

 

Thanks, did everything except the pool and grass myself. Agree on the u tiles, last house had them and I learned my lesson.

No, link below. The only research I did was cost. It’s really nice, some of it could fit together better but nothing that diminishes the final product. Did have them send 2 replacement pieces due to warping before installing but it was easy.

https://www.backyarddiscovery.com/products/cordova-14x10-gazebo

 

Walls are expensive, watering / maintaining landscaping is expensive. Lots of people just enclose a small section to try and keep the rattlesnakes away from kids and pets.

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/banner-health-reports-first-rattlesnake-bite-patient-2025.amp

 

makes sense, stupid snakes, if I have one reservation about this whole thing, its the stupid snakes, ugh.

make my wall 10 feet deep and high enough they cant get over then please. lol

 

Yup, easy to plumb in when you decide that you are tired of adding chlorine all the time. Also, if you take your water to a store like Leslie's to test, it is nearly useless. Spend the money on a good (taylor) at home chemistry kit. It may sound like a lot up front but once you have the chemistry dialed in, it takes very little work. Oh, I also suggest a cleaning robot: another item that I would never have a pool without. I might spend 30 min a week on pool maintenance now: mostly brushing and the water looks and feels great.

 

ok, man, you and I are going to have to talk as I get closer, you think like me, more upfront, less dicking around later!!

Thanks again for the info

I was just on the phone with the pool company gathering some info, lol.